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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 4018737" data-attributes="member: 18280">I haven't had a chance to read through this thread yet, but I will do so later.  Great idea for a thread!Some things you might want to consider:*  Descriptions.  A sandbox lives or dies by how "real" it seems to the players, so have some descriptions available that make different bits of forest or stream seem to actually be different from each other.  AEG's Toolbox is great for this.*  Real Life Relics.  From the stone foundations of a burnt-out farmhouse, to a lost wooden comb, to a broken child's doll, have some relics of past lives around that aren't adventure sites and aren't real "treasure".  Not only do these add to the verisimilitude of the setting, but they make some real treasures (and threats, and adventure sites) less obvious.*  Normal Animals.  Especially in a sandbox setting, players should run into normal animals and plants.  Encounters with deer in the forest, sighting lizards and toads, etc....even mention of things like mice and dragonflies....Not only do they help the setting seem more real, but they provide food for PCs, things for druids to command and question, cover for spying familiars, and potentially clues as to the nature of an area (as in, "There must be open water around here somewhere, with all these dragonflies.")*  Religion.  Sites for pilgirmages, including shrines, remote temples, etc.  Roadside cairns.  Burial mounds.  Not every holy site needs attending clerics; a stone near a bridge where folks leave odd coins is just as good.  More than just having a list of gods, you should consider at least a basic philosophy for each major religion in the campaign area.  This is the sort of thing lots of players have fun with, so you should consider recruiting them to do some of the work!*  Calendar.  You should have a blank campaign calendar to mark out when things happen and where.  Plan out major events ahead of time (the 1e Oriental Adventures has a usable system for this).  Think about major holidays, what they look/feel like, what happens during them, and how the PCs can get involved.  Include the phases of the moon(s) for lycanthropes and strange magics.  Consider the impact of seasons.  Use a weather generator (there are several good ones online) to generate weather a year in advance.  That way, when the players decide to hide out in Wildgate for six months, you won't be caught unprepared!*  Travellers On The Road.  Who travels on the road, and why?  Encounters should include more than merchants, patrols, and monsters.  There was a great Dragon article on this a long time back (sorry I don't know the issue # off the top of my head).  Meeting other folks on the road, in ways that make sense, is a lot of fun, though!*  Interconnect Adventure Sites.  Especially if using pre-written adventures, take some time to ponder how various adventure sites might be related to (and point to) each other.*  Cull Names.  Ever hear that common complaint that some adventure has a great background but the players will never get to know it?  With a sandbox game, the DM can go over that background information well beforehand, and seed it throughout the setting.  By the time the PCs encounter the Lost Tomb of Ballyho, they not only know who Baron Ballyho was, but who he was betrayed by, and what happened after.  Suddenly, what seemed like meaningless detail gains a poinancy that adds to the experience of exploring the Tomb.I'll try to add more when I have more time/have read through the thread.Best of luck with it, and keep us posted!RC</blockquote>

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